A pair of Seattle restaurateurs are turning the former Towne Crier in Richland into a cowboy themed bar and nightclub.

The Daisy Ranch Saloon is expected to open by late March at 1319 George Washington Way, next to Some Bagels at the Uptown Shopping Center, said Nate Johnson Egerdahl, who is partnering with David Tran on the project.

The duo applied for a liquor license in 2022 and are busy transforming the space to suit their vision. They plan to merge country and rock music with pop music “for a perfect blend of Tri-City culture and community,” Egerdahl said.

Both are from the Puget Sound area, with Tran owning a series of bars and nightclubs, including Cowgirls Inc. bar in Seattle stadium district. Egerdahl brings a background in marketing to the team.

Tran lives in Seattle, but Egerdahl and his wife, Hillary, and two daughters moved to the Tri-Cities and make their home in Kennewick.

The partners are excited about their new concept and began scouting spaces. Nothing quite fit and the spaces they liked tended to be leased quickly.

Egerdahl said they’d visited the Towne Crier before it closed and were drawn by the location and the atmosphere. Town Crier operated for 50 years before it closed in 2021.

They told Kenny Teasdale, a commercial broker with NAI Tri-Cities, that if it ever came on the market, to let them know.

It did. He did. And they successfully pitched their vision to the property owner.

They signed an eight-year lease, with options to renew.

“We plan on being here a long time,” Egerdahl said. “I’m pretty excited about it all.”

Egerdahl said the space is getting a substantial makeover by Flaminco LLC, a Richland contractor. The ceilings, walls and floors are new, as are the bathrooms. The rear has been extended into former office space.

The false floor is gone, but Daisy Ranch Saloon will retain the old bar, which is getting a new top.

A mechanical bull will be positioned near the entrance. There will be a dance floor in keeping with its nightclub vibe. There will be live music, a DJ on weekends and a staff that is mostly female.

Too, Daisy Ranch is retaining at least one of Towne Crier’s better-known offerings, its famous broasted chicken.

The Daisy Ranch Saloon menu also will feature a simplified lineup of traditional bar fare. Egerdahl said ingredients will be fresh, never frozen, and sourced locally when possible.

Egerdahl said he’s pleased to be part of the Uptown, Richland’s quirky mid-century atomic-themed shopping plaza. He sees its nightspot potential in Daisy Ranch and in the revival of the former Ray’s Golden Lion under the team led by Stick + Stone.

That leaves just one empty spot in the area.

“There’s going to be a good group of us,” he said.

He said he’s excited about one of Uptown’s less obvious features, its alley gallery of murals. He promised that the future Daisy Ranch Saloon will participate in the walkable community art project.